Super Sonning sweep the board

BEST OF BERKSHIRE - Sonning's Ghulam Abbas (right) and Bob Williams of Theale and Tilehurst 3rd (centre), who shared the Berkshire League Bowler of the Year award, show off their trophies alongside Batsman of the Year Mark Richards of Sonning

Not only did the Pound Lane side pick up the Premier Division title for the first time since 1984, but they also claimed the batting and bowling prizes as well.

Sonning pipped Englefield for the league crown after going through the season unbeaten.

And that was largely due to brilliant individual performances from Pakistani bowler Ghulam Abbas and opening batsman Mark Richards.

Abbas shared the Bowler of the Year award with Theale and Tilehurst 3rd XI veteran Bob Williams, who also won the trophy in 2000.

Abbas, in his first season in the Berkshire League, took 50 wickets from his 164.5 overs with a best performance of 7-48.

Williams, meanwhile, had best figures of 7-53 in his total of 50 wickets.

Richards beat off stiff competition to clinch the Batsman of the Year award.

Twelve batsmen totalled over 500 runs this season, with four over 600 and two over 700.

But former Cornwall star Richards stormed home after amassing 844 runs at an average of 93.78.

The runs came in just 12 knocks, including three not outs, and he scored over 150 on three occasions.

Incredibly, though, Richards didn't pick up the Premier Division award as his average was bettered by Englefield's Robin White.

The all-rounder totalled 509 runs from 11 innings at an average of 127.25.

Abbas took the top flight's bowling award for his average of 8.18.

And Swindon NALGO were also celebrating after picking up three awards in their first season in the league.

The Wiltshire side won the Division 1 title, and picked up the bowling award through Jamil Chahal (27 wickets at an average of 10.11) and the batting award through skipper David Legge (708 runs from 13 innings at 78.67.